EEBT Chapter 7 : About The Rifleman

How’s your leg, Captain?”

 

“Still a nightmare.”

 

Alex rolled up his pant leg and applied ointment to his ankle as he spoke.

 

“I can only shoot, so it’s whatever. But why do you keep staying in this tough place, Captain? I heard rumors that Headquarters offered you a staff position.”

 

“All I know how to do is shoot. And that wasn’t a staff position—it was an offer to be an errand boy for the staff headquarters.”

 

He wrapped a bandage around his ankle and then pulled his pant leg back down.

 

“Besides, even if I took a staff position at my rank, I’d have to start learning everything from scratch. Too much work. I’m making good money doing what I’m doing now.”

 

He yawned loudly as he spoke.

 

“Damn it… How long have we been here now?”

 

“About a year, right? August, September, October… Ah, it’s been about ten months.”

 

As Swafford counted on his fingers, eventually using both hands, Alex leaned back and let out a sigh.

 

“Man, we’ve really been worked like dogs. I thought we’d get some rest when we came to the capital, but the work just keeps piling up, and the guys next to us are all idiots.”

 

“But isn’t it rewarding to see the Defense Force slowly changing? Inspector Whitaker’s 3rd Capital Defense Unit is practically a paramilitary organization now.”

 

“That’s rewarding, sure. I told those Imperial Guard clowns to do their military cosplay properly, but they just boycotted everything, so it’s even worse.”

 

“Those guys are just idiots.”

 

Swafford poured Alex a cup of tea.

 

“Recite the important stuff for this month.”

 

Swafford picked up the calendar lying on the desk and glanced at it.

 

“Hmm. At the end of this month, there’s the royal ball and our unit’s rest week.”

 

“Hey, the first one isn’t important.”

 

“I just read it out loud. Then there’s guard duty, guard training, guard duty, guard duty…”

 

As the endless schedule continued without a break, Alex let out a deep sigh. They were being thrown into exhausting guard duties during the time they should be training and resting.

 

“Did the request for duty adjustment get rejected?”

 

Alex could only nod his heavy head.

 

“They said to try not to clash with the Imperial Guard and just hold on a bit longer. They’ll pay us properly…”

 

“What good is proper pay if we don’t have time to spend it? And they’re not giving us the allowances we’re supposed to get from the palace.”

 

“I know…”

 

Alex let out a deep sigh. They were supposed to be the direct unit under the Army Headquarters commander, overseeing all army units.

 

Why did they have to put up with the whining of the Imperial Guard, who were nothing more than the Crown Prince’s toy soldiers?

 

“…At least we got a week off.”

 

“Those Imperial Guard clowns find ways to show off their faces, don’t they? And most of the officers will be half-assing their guard duties because they’re attending the ball.”

 

As Swafford tidied the desk and sighed, Alex shrugged and tried to console him.

 

“It’s better than running into foreign nobles and causing trouble.”

 

“I know, I know. I just want to smash those Imperial Guard clowns in the face with a rifle butt. We’ve been without proper quarters for ten months now. Once the rainy season hits, managing ammunition is going to be a nightmare…”

 

Thinking about the work during the rainy season, both of them let out a sigh.

 

With no roofs or buildings to shield them from the rain, the situation was bleak. They were supposed to be the elite of the elite, the Riflemen and Green Jackets, with equipment and salaries that were the envy of others.

 

Yet here they were, feeling the bitterness of being treated like leftovers.

 

“…Ah, duty’s over now.”

 

Alex stood up after checking the precision nautical clock on the desk.

 

“What, are you going to meet a woman? Since when do you care about duty hours?”

 

Seeing him act differently than usual, Swafford joked.

 

Then Alex, now dressed in civilian clothes, nodded.

 

“I am going to meet a woman.”

 

“Yeah, right. Stop messing around, Captain. Since when do you care about women?”

“I’m serious. While I’m gone, make sure to assist the 1st Squad leader on duty today!”

 

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

Swafford saluted, brushing off his words.

 

“Have a good trip.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

* * *

 

Adelaine slowly read through the documents. Naya was truly an excellent teacher and secretary. She had sorted all the documents and letters brought by the butler into categories and created tables, systematically handling tasks as if using Excel.

 

Thanks to her, Adelaine could manage her work without much difficulty.

 

“Hmm… I have this much allowance, but it’s draining away like this…”

 

She sat at her desk late into the night, working on the assignment Naya had given her: organizing the income and expenses of her allowance. She was writing an allowance ledger to track the money coming in and going out.

 

Though she had heard of double-entry bookkeeping, this was her first time actually doing it, so it was challenging. However, thanks to the assignment, she could see how much money the Ducal House was giving her and how much was being spent.

 

As she filled out half the ledger, her brow began to furrow.

 

“…The snack expenses are this much per month?!”

 

Comparing Naya’s monthly salary to the snack expenses, her jaw dropped.

 

Naya’s salary wasn’t small, and the snacks were supposedly made by the Ducal House’s chefs. So why was there a separate budget for snacks, and why was such an absurd amount being spent?

 

“I need to look into this…”

 

Of course, it might have been the original Adelaine’s doing, but the amount was too large. And other strange discrepancies were starting to pop up.

 

“The coachman’s expenses and the maids’ clothing costs are all coming out of my allowance?! What’s going on here? Their salaries are already being paid separately!”

 

Expenses that should have been handled by the Ducal House or the maids’ personal expenses were all being deducted from Adelaine’s allowance.

 

When the money ran short, the Ducal House would pour in more funds, which were then siphoned off for luxury expenses and embezzlement.

 

“…I was a fool.”

 

Adelaine wasn’t a meticulous and ruthless villainess—she was a gullible fool being exploited by those around her.

 

Now she understood why Naya had given her this assignment.

 

“So that’s why she told me to keep an allowance ledger…”

 

Naya had subtly suggested this after quickly noticing the embezzlement.

 

*See for yourself and judge.*

 

“I need to wash up first…”

 

The truth was giving her a headache. Washing up and clearing her mind was the priority.

 

She pulled the bell cord to ring the bell in the duty maid’s room.

 

Soon, a maid knocked and asked,

 

“Did you call for me?”

 

Ah. Naya wasn’t on duty today.

 

Now that she knew the maids had been treating her like a fool, she couldn’t trust them anymore, even though they had been smiling and helping her since her transmigration.

 

But was it right to call Naya in the middle of the night? She must still be adjusting, even if she didn’t show it.

 

“…Call Naya for me.”

 

In the end, she decided to make the slightly awkward request.

 

“Understood.”

 

The maid left, and shortly after, there was another knock.

 

*Knock knock.*

 

“Did you call for me?”

 

Naya’s voice sounded slightly groggy, as if she had just woken up.

 

“Come in. Sorry, I know you were probably sleeping.”

 

“It’s alright. I was just about to go to sleep.”

 

“I was working on the assignment and got a headache, so I’m going to wash up now. Can you help me?”

“Of course, it’s my duty.”

 

Naya nodded with a faint smile on her lips.

 

* * *

 

The newly hired coachman of the Ducal House looked up at the lit window of Adelaine’s study.

 

“This is different from the information I had…”

 

Adelaine wasn’t the type to stay in her study this late. It was a reasonable assumption based on the various pieces of information he had gathered as the head of the information guild, including details about high society.

 

Seyd muttered as he glanced at the new face faintly visible through the window.

 

“Hmm. So that maid is special after all.”

 

The commoner maid Adelaine had brought in—Naya Lake.

 

She was a top graduate of the academy, and her only family was her brother. These were her few distinguishing features.

 

No one had paid much attention to Naya Lake, so the limited information he had was only what came with the regular updates from the academy.

 

But after Adelaine met Naya, she changed.

 

She began studying seriously, cut back on unnecessary social activities, and even started managing the estate properly.

 

“Well, if the opportunity arises, I could always ask the maid directly.”

 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

 

*Click.*

 

Behind Seyd, the sound of a mechanical device was followed by a man’s voice.

 

“Hands up.”

 

Seyd slowly raised his hands.

 

“Well, this is the first time I’ve been caught from behind.”

 

He spoke in a slightly surprised tone to the man behind him. He didn’t know who it was, but it was undoubtedly someone skilled. His senses couldn’t have dulled, yet this man had managed to get so close without being detected.

 

“Seyd. I didn’t think you’d abandon your subordinates and stoop to being a coachman.”

 

“Who are you? You haven’t even introduced yourself…”

 

Seyd didn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he quickly reached into his pocket, drew a dagger, and swung it behind him as he twisted his body. A man in plain clothes, wearing a mask and holding a pistol, stepped back.

 

“The Ducal House really has no eye for talent. Hiring a criminal as a servant.”

 

“So, isn’t this a good place to take a break?”

 

Seyd feigned a relaxed tone as he slowly observed his opponent.

 

He didn’t seem like an ordinary assassin, but something felt off.

 

No mana was detectable. How had he avoided both his detection magic and his instincts?

 

“So, are you going to introduce yourself?”

 

“I don’t have a habit of introducing myself to criminals and inviting trouble.”

 

The man began to approach slowly. Seyd scoffed internally and spoke.

 

“Is that so? Well then…”

 

He adjusted his grip on the dagger and lunged forward, slashing horizontally.

 

He felt something brush against the tip of his dagger.

 

Yes. He had aimed for the wrist—it would be a fatal blow.

 

Seyd confidently leaped into the air, swinging his leg powerfully.

 

If this kick landed on the chin, most people would be knocked out instantly. Especially after having their wrist slashed.

 

He’d knock out this intruder and interrogate him later. Information was crucial.

 

But Seyd’s plan fell apart in an instant.

 

The man removed his mask and threw it at Seyd’s face.

 

His vision was momentarily obscured, and in that moment, a heavy blow struck his side.

 

“Ugh!”

 

Seyd was slammed to the ground. Gritting his teeth, he pushed the mask off his face and sprang back to his feet.

 

But there was no one around.

Only he stood there, covered in dirt.

 

“Damn it…”

 

Feeling the sting of defeat for the first time in a while, Seyd gritted his teeth.

 

“I’ll catch you and torture you until you spill everything you know… and even what you don’t know…”